Kill Ari Part 1
by Tate In Season 3
Summary: This is episode 1, season 3, Kill Ari Part 1 with Kate. TATE.
1. Chapter 1

**"Previously on _NCIS_."**

_"Wow. I thought I'd die before I ever got a com..." Kate felt a heavy body pushing her down at the ground and something penetrating her shoulder. It hurt like razors. Tony raised his head and looked at her. He got fear in his eyes at the sight of all the blood that was welling out of her shoulder. _

_"Tony! What... are you doing?" He could see that it was getting harder to talk. And Tony's bodyweight didn't exactly help. _

_"Saving your cute little ass, what do you think?" he replied calmly. "You're shot. Don't move." _

_"You don't have to... tell me that... It's kinda hard to move as it is..." He moved over and kept his hand on her wound as a pressure. "Ow! That hurts!" she said looking gloomily in to his eyes. _

_"Yeah, well, it's for your own good." He looked at her with a sad expression. He then forced himself to focus. "Boss, did you see the shooter?" He was busy talking to McGee on the radio. _

_"...Yeah. She's shot and needs to get to the hospital. Call 911 and meet me on the other side." He turned and looked at his two agents. "McGee is calling 911. The ambulance should be here soon. Try to get her down, and for God sake, don't leave her alone until the ambulance is here. For all we know, Ari is still out there." _

_"Ari? So you saw the shooter?" Tony said. _

_"No. But I bet it was him." He was on his way down when he turned and looked at them, still on the ground. Tony with the pressure on Kate's shoulder. _

_"Hey. You did a good job, DiNozzo." Gibbs gave in a little, and smiled at them. But just as fast he got his old grumpy face again and left. Kate and Tony were still in chock when Tony popped out something that sounded like a "thank-you, boss.". Did he just smile? _

_Kate tried to make eye-contact with Tony but by now she could barely open her eyes. She rested her head on his lap and tried to open her mouth. "Ton..." It was to much. Kate fell back against his lap once again her mouth half open. Tony reacted instantly and tried to get her conscious again. _

_"Come on Kate. I know you can do it! Wake up." He looked down at her helpless body and decided to carry her down. Tony slowly lifted her up and placed her in his arms. He began his way down._


	2. Chapter 2

**Kill Ari (Part 1)**

Ari got in to the elevator and proceeded to the top floor. The big elevator stopped harshly but Ari didn't seem to care. He held his gun with his left arm as he opened the wooden elevator door with his right. He looked around, checking out the surroundings before he made his way to the rooftop.

He ran across the roof towards the sound of bullets through the air. He made it to his intended target, the end of the roof, and prepared his gun. He looked through his sight and saw one of his men getting shot down by Special Agent DiNozzo. Ari saw him running towards his transmitter and not far behind him was Special Agent Gibbs. Gibbs looked down at his youngest agent, Special Agent McGee, who was on the ground trying to jam the controller so that he would be able to stop Ari's little diversion.

Ari aimed at McGee and pulled the trigger. Another shot was heard and McGee jumped away. It came from one of Ari's men who was stationed in a window right behind McGee. And McGee had ducked from his shot and therefore Ari's shot had just went into the car. "Dammit." Ari thought. He sighed deeply. "Well, I can always make it harder for them." He smiled as he fired his second bullet through the controller. The brass fell to the ground and Ari once again turned his attention back to Gibbs.

Gibbs shot two bullets through the controller and Ari knew that the missile was down. He heard a shot and saw Kate jump in front of Gibbs. Gibbs started to fire at whatever the shot came from and Ari slowly followed him with his sight. He saw one of his terrorists drop dead to the ground. Gibbs and Tony helped Kate from the ground. They stood there, smiling. "Well, they won't smile now." Ari thought as he got back to the sight.

Ari aimed at Gibbs, the man who he was originally after. But something inside him didn't want to let him go that easily. Ari wanted Gibbs to suffer. And the best way to make him suffer was to take down the women he worked with. He then aimed for Kate. But as he aimed he also glanced at DiNozzo who apparently glanced back at him. He must have seen the sight shine in the sun. Ari had to act quickly.

He had previously aimed for the head but now he was happy just to hit her. And he did. He saw DiNozzo throw himself over Kate but Ari still managed to hit the shoulder. He once again sighed deeply and stood up. "That will do, for now." His voice was hollow and he began to run. Ari knew that there wasn't much time before Gibbs reached this building with nothing but revenge on his mind.


	3. Chapter 3

Gibbs sat in his chair, the bullpen was empty. He hadn't found Ari. He just saw his car drive off and shot some angry bullets at him. But, still, there was something that was bugging him. "Why did Ari shoot Kate? Wasn't it me he wanted? Did he miss? Maybe something went wrong. Or did he just change his mind? The only way to find out for sure is to ask him. Where should I look?! The only thing my gut is telling me is that I need coffee. Maybe that will help." Gibbs decided that thinking about Ari didn't make him appear. As he was on his way to the elevator, Tony came rushing out, soaking wet.

"God! It's pouring outside. I would wait to buy that coffee if I were you." Gibbs didn't answer. He just looked at him.

"Well, what did you find?!"

"Oh. Ah, Ari's sniper's nest. It was the roof of an abandoned office building to the east. And, he didn't police his brass." He showed Gibbs the plastic bag with three brass in it.

"They're Lapua .308s. Lapua's match-grade sniper ammo."

"Did you find any bullets?" Gibbs began walking back to his desk and Tony followed.

"None that matched the brass. I left three guys on the roof searching."

"No point. Ari's rooftop wasn't much higher than ours. And the rooflines behind us were lower. No telling how far a full metal jacket bullet would go, after it passed through Kate." He silenced and looked down at the ground. So did Tony. Gibbs felt his blood boil at the thought of Ari, but also guilt for causing Kate all that pain. It wasn't supposed to hit her. Ari was supposed to shoot him. Gibbs pulled himself together and spoke again.

"Three rounds. Only _one_ hit?" Tony looked up but not into his eyes. He never liked to look into Gibbs' eyes. It felt like he was being read like a book.

"He must've popped off a couple rounds when we were weaving across the roof."

"I was standing still when Kate was shot." He was getting more and more close to the truth, a truth he didn't want to hear.

"McGee lasered the distance at nearly 600 meters. Slight shift in the wind, he misses you...he hits Kate." Tony continued.

Gibbs sighed deeply. He didn't want to say this but he knew that he had to. "There was no wind."

"What are you saying?" Tony was shocked. He wasn't sure what he heard. "That he was aiming at Kate? You're the one he wants to kill."

"Ari had, a thing, for Kate." It was hard to say. Especially to Tony.

"What are you talking about?"

"She told me that he was always coming on to her. In Autopsy, when he kidnapped her and let her go."

"She never told me that!" Gibbs rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, well, you too weren't exactly getting along at the time."

Tony couldn't believe that Kate hadn't told him. He knew that they were having problems before and after the kidnapping but after the hostage situation, they where fine. But still, she had only told him that she hadn't killed him, not that he was coming on to her. If he had know he would have been there for her. It just felt like she didn't trust him. And that made him sad, but also angry. "Why?! Why didn't she trust me?"

Gibbs broke his thoughts. "McGee, Abby and Ducky are at the hospital, visiting Kate. When they get back, I want you to see what Abby can pull off that brass. I'm going for coffee." He got up and headed for the elevator.

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Kate was lying in the hospital bed with an IV stuck in her arm and an ECG beepeing in the background. She was pale and there as blood in two bags hanging next to the bed. Ducky, Abby and McGee was waiting outside for the doctor. Ducky had got an urgent call from Abby and came to the hospital right away, it was better than go through another of his mothers dinners. Abby was jumping up and down and couldn't wait until she could see Kate. "Can't the doctor hurry up a little!?" She was getting angry. Ducky tried to calm her down.

"Don't worry, Abigail. He's just doing his job. You'll see her soon enough." Abby abruptly stopped. She turned and looked at Ducky. "Don't, call me Abigail..." The she proceeded walk back and forward. McGee looked at her worryingly from his chair.

"Abby, please sit down. You're making me more nervous than I already am." She stopped and looked sadly at McGee.

"I'm sorry, Timmy, but I just can't relax until I know if she's OK."

"Don't worry." Everyone looked at the man who came towards them. "I'm doctor Tom Williams." He shook hands with everyone. "Your friend has lost a lot of blood and need time to recover." He was just about to continue as Abby interrupted him.

"Can we see her?!" She sounded just like a little girl who wanted to open her Christmas presents one day early.

"Well, she's still very weak, and probably not awake, but you're allowed to go in and see her, yes." Abby run over and hugged the doctor.

"Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou, so much!" Then she slowly opened the door to Kate's room and entered. McGee was right behind her. Ducky smiled at Dr. Williams as he entered and he smiled back.

Abby came in to a room with only one bed. She felt the tears coming when she saw her best friend lying there, fighting for her life.

"Oh, Kate." Abby rushed forward and sat down in the chair next to Kate's bed. She took her hand and looked up at her. "Oh God, if you hear me now, save her." Ducky tapped her on the shoulder and said some comforting words, but he wasn't sure either that she would make it.

Dr. Williams had also entered the room and Ducky turned to him. He whispered so that Abby wouldn't hear. Of course, he didn't think that she was in the condition to hear anything at the moment since she barely was quiet between her heavy sobs and the crying. McGee stood beside her and held her other hand. He didn't look so happy either. Ducky couldn't estimate if it was because of Kate's or Abby's condition.

"Doctor, is she going to make it?" Dr. Williams looked at Ducky almost like he hesitated.

"She has lost a lot of blood...the bullet went straight through and managed to get an artery in the way, if it hadn't been for Special Agent DiNozzo, who held pressure on her shoulder, she wouldn't have made it." He made a break and looked at his patient. "We gave her blood but she hasn't responded yet. Hopefully she will soon." And with that he looked at Ducky, not waiting for a reply. And Ducky didn't know what to say either.

"Ah, she's strong. Very strong. She used to protect the President you know." Ducky looked at Dr. Williams and smiled before he continued. Dr. Williams looked at Kate in admiration.

"She'll make it." Ducky looked at Kate with confidence.

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Tony stayed in the bullpen when Gibbs left. As he was sitting at his desk he glanced over to Kate's desk and realized how much me missed her. He shouldn't have left her to the ambulance men, he should have gone with her. But Gibbs had told him to collect evidence. He couldn't disobey order, no matter how much he wanted to.

Tony snapped out of his thinking and went over to McGee's desk where all the evidence still laid. He looked at the brass. One of them almost killed Kate, if he hadn't gotten dazzled by the sight on Ari's gun he would be thinking about what to wear for Kate's funeral, if he could even handle showing up. He would probably break down in front of her parents and that was be something he'd rather not do.

Tony continued and looked at McGee's laptop and saw that it too had been shot. Just as he was about to look a little deeper the elevator doors opened and McGee popped out.

"I'm sorry I'm late but..." He stopped when he didn't see anyone in the bullpen. Tony who was waiting to hear his apology was getting impatient.

"But what?" McGee who didn't see anyone was startled when he heard Tony's voice.

"I-I was at-at the hospital." Tony stood up and looked at him with a grumpy face. Why was he allowed to go and visit Kate when he wasn't?

"How was she?" Tony asked a little anxious. He hoped McGee didn't hear it in his voice.

"Um, she was pale and had all sorts of tubes and stuff on her. And she didn't have such a good blood pressure either." He looked at Tony. He looked so sad. Why? And why wasn't he at the hospital with us? McGee hadn't time to ask him 'cause Tony had already moved on and was asking questions.

"When was this hit, McGee?" He pointed at the controller.

"When I was pinned down." McGee answered surprisingly.

"Ari had a shot at it?"

McGee didn't understand where Tony was trying to go at first but when he thought back, he remembered something valuable.

"A car was between the terrorist and the controller... There's no way he could have hit it! I'm sorry. I should've realized that it was Ari." He was shocked and angry with himself for not realizing it sooner, then maybe they could have stopped Ari before he shot Kate.

"But then, why didn't he shoot you?" Tony said, just a little serious.

"Oh, thanks, Tony." This wasn't the way he used to tease him. He must be really mad at Ari.

"All I'm saying is you're a sizeable target. The controller isn't." McGee got furious. Now he had crossed the line.

"What!? Are you saying I'm fat?"

"No. All right, maybe a little around the waist, under the chin." Tony said as he moved towards McGee and tapped him under the chin. Tony went back to the controller with complete seriousness. McGee was too angry to move. Tony, on the other hand, answered his own question.

"No. Ari didn't have an angle on you. I think you owe that shooter from the warehouse a thankyou. He saved your life." Tony said looking at McGee who was tensing up. Tony then turned and looked at the hole.

"The bullet entered here. It could have ricocheted into the car." McGee relaxed and answered calmly.

"I'll get on it."

"Yeah. And I'll see if Abby's back. If she is I'll leave her the evidence. You just prepare the car for her and she'll be down in a moment."

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Abby walked in to her lab and sat down at her desk. No music. No cheery Abby either. It had almost been painful to see Kate, lying there, all pale. She shrugged. She didn't even want to think about it. Abby didn't hear when Tony came in so he cleared his voice.

"Abby." She turned around, pleased to see him.

"Hey, Tony. Have you got something for me?" She wept a few tears away.

".308 casings from Ari's sniper's nest." He gave the plastic bag to her.

"You just _had_ to give me the most popular caliber in the world." She tried to force out a smile. It barely worked.

"Well, hey, I just found them." He smiled sadly. "Can you tell what weapon he used?"

"A .308." She sounded like she was speaking to an idiot.

"What model .308?"

"You don't know?" She was half surprised, half embarrassed.

"Would I be asking?"

"Well, how am I supposed to know?" she said, sounding a little confused.

"Because you're the firearms expert." She sighed, deeply.

"That, I am. And when I'm done, I will tell you the propellant, the primer, the percentage of nickel and copper in the brass, whether or not all three rounds were fired from the same weapon which you assume, but I can prove or disprove." She put on her gloves and started up all her computers. Her voice was getting angrier.

"I will tell you who manufactured the ammo, the batch number and, perhaps, where it was sold. I will also, with some degree of accuracy, tell you if it was fired from a lever-action, a bolt-action, a semi-automatic or an automatic weapon." She began walking towards him again and she was almost screaming.

"However, there is no way in hell I could tell you which of the 87 different .308 models fired those rounds."

"The rounds are Lapua."

"What?" she cried out.

"Lapua made the ammo. Logo's on the rim." They looked at each other for a long time. The all the sudden Abby launched herself into his arms and cried on his shoulder. She tried to tell her things through the sobs.

"Tony, I miss her. I want her to come back! I want her to wake up. I want to hear her laughter again." He tried to comfort her but he felt the same way.

"Me too. Me too."


	4. Chapter 4

Gibbs walked past the windows of the lab when he heard a gunshot. It went straight through one of the windows. He dropped his coffee and ran inside.

Tony was laying on top of Abby.

"You hit?"

"No. You're heavy." Abby said, barely able to talk.

"Sorry." He moved away. The dragged her under the window and sat down. Tony drove his weapon. Abby sat up and stared into nothing.

"Oh my God. This is the first time I'm getting shot at...how am I doing?" She looked up at Tony.

"Fine. Just fine." Tony wasn't exactly paying attention. They heard Gibbs' voice.

"Abby." Tony answered.

"Boss, down. We're taking fire." Gibbs came running in, turned the light switch to off and pulled the plug of the refrigerator.

Ari rolled up his window on his car, threw out the brass and drove off. Gibbs sat down next to Abby.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah." She said with a hollow voice.

"Close off Anacostia Park between the bridges. Tell Metro cops it's a crime scene."

"Okay, right." Tony made his way to the door, standing up. Gibbs dragged him down.

"What if he has a night-vision scope?"

"That's a good point, boss." He began crawling out.

"I will get you bullet-proof glass."

"There's no such thing, Gibbs." She sniveled.

"Okay, bullet-resistant glass." He plucked a glass splinter out of her hair. Abby was afraid of the answer on the question she couldn't stop thinking about, but she needed to ask him nevertheless.

"Ari didn't shoot at you and hit Kate by mistake, did he? He's after me now." He tried to prove her wrong.

"I was walking by that window when he fired." She didn't buy it.

"You're just saying that to make me feel safe." He put his arm around her.

"I'll keep you safe, Abby." He kissed her lightly on the top of her head. "I promise."

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Abby thought that she would be safe down in the evidence room with McGee. Plus she could work on the car.

"Hey, McGee, take a look at this." She was leaning into the car's trunk and examined a hole in the side of the car.

"I think it's a .308." McGee was just staring at her butt.

"Stop staring at my butt and get me an evidence jar!" He picked up a little jar and held it under the bullet.

"Drop it." She dropped it and continued her search, McGee continued leering at her butt.

"Oh, I found another one." All of the sudden Gibbs was standing behind McGee and he almost jumped when he found out.

"Boss, ah, we-we-we found a .308 slug." Gibbs just stared at him. It was a very scary look. Abby got out of the trunk, holding another bullet.

"Two. They were plugged in the trunk." She dropped it in McGee's evidence jars.

"These fired by the dirtbag in the warehouse?" He was indicating to the smaller bullets in some of the evidence jars.

"Yes. Those I found in the right side of the car. Nine mil slugs." Abby showed him. McGee continued to inform.

"Ari missed with his first shot. Hit the controller with the second." He turned to McGee.

"Where were you before you took cover?"

"Right here." He pointed at the spot where he had been. McGee thought back. He got surprised when he discovered that Ari had taken a shot at him too.

"Tony's right. I do owe that terrorist a thank-you." And in that moment Tony came in.

"He didn't police his brass again. Metro P.D. found a .308 casing in the park next to tire tracks."

"And?" Gibbs said with an eager voice. Tony tried to look surprised.

"Nothing. I was waiting for you to tell me to tell them to bring the evidence."

"I have to tell you that, DiNozzo?" Gibbs was the one who was surprised now. He thought he had trained his Senior Field Agent better.

"You always do." Gibbs made his way up.

"Tell Metro P.D. to-"

"Already did, boss." He smiled widely. "Oh, and by the way, the director wants to see you up in MTAC." Tony smiled even wider to Gibbs when he entered the elevator. Abby looked angrily at him.

"Why are you baiting Gibbs?" Tony stood face to face with her, whispering.

"I'm trying to get him to stop being nice." McGee walked up to them, smiling.

"I like him nice." Abby and Tony turned towards him and there was a big _smack _as they slapped him in the back of his head.

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Gibbs walked into MTAC and sat down next to Director Tom Morrow. He started to talk to him as soon as he sat down. They both talked calmly and quietly.

"What do you have?"

"Brass from Ari's sniper's nest. Three bullets. Tire tracks in Anacostia Park, from where he fired a shot across the river into our forensics lab." Gibbs said as he sighed deeply every time.

"Unusual for a sniper not to police his brass, isn't it?"

"Yes, sir." he said with a low voice.

"I've received calls from every director I know promising to hunt down this sniper as if he'd shot one of their own."

"FBI might be the most help. Ari Haswari is their mole." The Director still didn't know how Gibbs could be sure that it was Ari.

"According to your after-action report, no one actually saw the sniper who shot Agent Todd."

"Ari was on a rooftop 600 meters away." Gibbs said with certainty.

"Extraordinary shot." He waited for Gibbs response.

"No, sir. Not really."

"You were a sniper with the Corps?"

"Two tours."

"Vietnam?" Gibbs laughed.

"I'm not that old, sir. Panama and Desert Storm."

"I thought you were older."

They stopped talking and looked at the screen. There was a missile on the screen and people below them where talking. The mission was successful. Director Morrow continued his conversation with Gibbs.

"Where was I?"

"Avoiding using Ari's name and the word _sniper_ in the same sentence, sir."

"Your anger is understandable, Jethro. He shot one of your agents so you want payback." Gibbs looked at his boss.

"Don't you, sir?"

"It's a passion I can't afford." He looked away.

"Do you honestly think it wasn't Ari?"

"No. But there are those who do." Gibbs almost laughed.

"Those who ran him. Those who thought they had the holy grail of moles. Those people covering their asses right now."

"Make sure you cover yours when you bring him in."

"Won't be a problem, sir. I won't be bringing him in." The Director sighed and changed the subject.

"Anyway, you're not my problem anymore, Jethro."

"You firing me, sir?" Anyone could hear the irony in his voice.

"I've been offered a deputy director's position at Homeland Security."

"You'd leave NCIS, sir?" Gibbs said with a very surprised voice.

"Well, the agency could use some younger blood."

"Well, who'll be replacing you, sir?" Tom Morrow smiled. A few seconds passed.

"Not me." Gibbs was a little shocked. Tom laughed.

"Much as I like you, Jethro, I would not shoot NCIS in the head. He's your problem now, director." A beautiful redhead woman stood up.

"Hello, Jethro."

Jenny Shepard was the last person Gibbs thought he would have as "boss". They'd had a fling in Paris a few years ago, which had ended his third marriage. He was stopped in his thoughts when she spoke.

"Should we skip the_ you haven't changed a bit_ bull?" she said smiling.

"Why start lying to each other now, Jen?" Gibbs was still confused.

"Any problem taking orders from me?"

"As director or as a woman?"

"Either."

"It was six years ago. The past won't be a problem. You were a damn good agent especially undercover." He rose and went down to her.

"Jethro." She almost blushed.

"Madam Director."


	5. Chapter 5

As they left MTAC the new director started talking about the case.

"You have no physical evidence linking Ari to the shootings. No wonder agencies here and abroad have doubts." They were on their way down the stairs.

"That bastard tried to kill two of my people. He almost succeeded the first time. I'll tell you something else. No suit with a tight sphincter is getting in my way, and that includes you, Jen." She stopped, not used to being treated like this.

"Special Agent Gibbs." Gibbs stopped a few steps down. He turned around and faced he sad face. He walked back up. He didn't mean to hurt her, but he had a job to do and politics wasn't going to get in the way of it.

"On the job, it is Director Shepard or ma'am." She wanted to make this clear as soon as possible.

"Okay. What about off the job?" he said almost whispering.

"There won't be any _off the job_, Agent Gibbs."

"That's too bad. I missed you, Jen." There was a short break.

"Don't make this difficult, Jethro." He thought that he almost made out a sadness in her eyes as she spoke.

"Fair enough. It won't happen again." He made his way down when he added "Director". She followed him. She continued with their conversation.

"We can continue this conversation in private." He smiled.

"I've gotta change my clothes. We can talk in my car on the way to the house."

"Gibbs!"

"Hey, I got an injured agent and a sniper on the loose. I do not have 10 minutes to spare." He walked towards Tony.

"Tony, where are we?"

"McGee and Abby are working firearms analysis." He was looking at a piece of paper and did not look up.

"I'm matching tire tracks to vehicles..." He then saw the hot woman, redhead, who was next to Gibbs. He barely heard what he said.

"No one is to leave the building. McGee's on protection detail with Abby. I'll be back in an hour." They left. As they entered the elevator another woman came out. The two women seemed to know each other.

The dark haired woman came towards him and Tony snapped out of his daydream.

"Eeh, can I help you?" he asked curiously.

"Ziva David. Mossad." She showed him her badge. "I'm here to see Special Agent Gibbs."

"How do you know I'm not Gibbs?"

"Gibbs?" She asked skeptically.

"He'll be back in an hour. I'm Special Agent Tony DiNozzo." Tony informed her. "Are you sure I can't help you?"

"You can't help because I'm here to stop Special Agent Gibbs from killing a Mossad officer."

"Ari Haswari?" Tony said angry.

"Yes." Ziva said a little surprised. Tony looked at her and smiled.

"I'd wish you luck, but I want the bastard dead too."

Still smiling he took his stuff and looked at Ziva, who wasn't smiling.

"I'm sure that a Mossad Officer as yourself can manage on your own for an hour. I have to go." He smiled at her and made his way down to the garage.

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The drive to the hospital was quick. He asked the woman in the reception where to find her. It wasn't hard to find the room.

There she was, it looked like she was sleeping. He sat down in the very same chair that Abby had sat in. He was afraid to take her hand but did anyway. It was cold and pale. He hadn't felt as down as he felt now in weeks. Not since... he found out that she had the plague. Of course, she didn't have the plague, she just said it so that Tony wouldn't think it was weird that she stayed. If he knew, he wouldn't have let her either. She risked her life to be with him, and for that, he was ever thankful.

The thing was…Tony knew that if Kate hadn't stayed with him, if she hadn't showed that she cared, that there was something worth living for, he wouldn't have made it. He was convinced that the only thing that kept him alive during those terrifying hours was the girl in the bed next to him. She had faith in him, and so had Gibbs. There was a chance that he would make it and when he saw her wearing a mask, he knew that she cared. That he had to stay strong, to survive, for her.

Tony looked at on of the monitors that showed different numbers. He wasn't sure if they were good or bad number but he was sure that red meant bad and green meant good. 'Cause just as he sat there, holding her hand, the number were shifting colors. From red to yellow, then to green. He left the room to get a doctor. When he found one he asked her to come and look for himself.

"Are you sure that they shifted from red to green?" The doctor was really skeptical but surprised.

"Yeah." Tony said nervously. "Are- are you saying that that's a bad thing?" He was getting a little scared.

"No! No. It's of course a good thing, it's just that she's been lying here for a day and we haven't seen any changes at all. And now, all the sudden, her blood pressure is back to normal, she responded to the blood transfusion and now she is recovering. This is a good thing." He smiled at him. Tony smiled back, relieved.

"Yes. Yes it is." He looked at her and smiled.

Then he thought he saw a twitch in her eyelids. With a shocked face he left the doctor's side and sat down. The took her hand and started mumbling to her.

"Come on, Kate. Wake up. You are all right." There was the twitch again and the doctor saw it too. He went to get some nurses.

Kate slowly opened her eyes. She looked weak and lost. She felt the touch of Tony's hand and gazed up on him. He was smiling widely at her.

"Where-where am I?" Her voice was fragile.

"You're at the hospital. You're going to be fine." He smiled at her. Kate wasn't smiling. She looked up in the ceiling.

"Have you caught him?" Her voice was hollow. Tony stopped smiling.

"Working on it. But we'll keep you safe. I promise." He didn't want to tell her about the shooting in Abby's lab yet, she was still recovering.

The nurses came and they moved him out of the way. He decided to call Abby, he knew that she wouldn't sleep well until she knew that Kate was all right. Abby said that she was going to come later 'cause she wasn't finished with all the work yet. And McGee had to come too. She then said that she would tell Gibbs, she was sure that he would be asking questions on why Tony wasn't at work if he had called.

Tony smiled and hung up. He looked at Kate, who waved drowsily at him, and sat down next to her.

"I-I didn't get the chance to thank you after I was shot." There was a short break. "Thank you." He could see it that she meant it. She blushed a little. "And I know I sounded a little angry at you. I'm sorry."

"It's OK." He smiled back. Tony looked at his watch. Kate understood.

"I know, I know. You have to get back."

"Abby will visit you later." he said to cheer her up.

"Yeah." she said, smiling. "I think I'm going to sleep now." She let out a big yawn and closed her eyes. Tony stood up and left.

**NCISTATENCISTATENCISTATENCISTATENCISTATENCISTATENCISTATENCISTATENCISTATENCISTATE**

Gibbs hung up after talking to Abby. He heard Jenny's voice.

"Is this the same boat you were building six years ago?" Jenny sat on a chair in Gibbs basement.

"Nope."

"What happened to it?" Gibbs went towards her.

"I burned her." he said easily.

"Why would you-? You named it after an ex-wife." She almost laughed.

"Let's go." It was clear that he didn't want to talk about it.

"Which one?" She was curious. Gibbs was getting mad.

"You know damn well which one."

"Why didn't you change the name?"

"Because it wouldn't matter. Every time I went out on her, I'd think of Diane."

"You could have sold it." she said simply.

"And watched some other guy sail off on her?" He got a little angry. She was making fun of him.

"You didn't care who sailed off on Diane." No she was laughing. "Leroy Jethro Gibbs, you are a strange man."

"Me?" Now he was laughing too.

"You were a good agent, Jen." Jenny got a little surprised.

"Were?"

"Yeah. Director's job is pure politics."

"I'm good at politics. NCIS needs someone who can shake the money tree on the Hill and work with sister agencies."

"Wait, you won't call a boat a _she_, but it's _sister _agencies?"

"I'm a schizoid libber. It comes from working with chauvinists like you." she said and pointed at him.

"I can't believe you would give up field work for rubber chicken dinners."

"I don't think they serve that dish at Palena."

"Never heard of it."

"Why would you? It isn't takeout."

"So which of the tight sphincters is taking you out to dinner? Please tell me it's not Fornell." There was a pause.

"CBS Early Show. They want background before I go on TV." Gibbs got a little scared.

"Jen. Jen, you can't do that." He begged her.

"Excuse me?"

"Ari is a chauvinist. He is taking out the women I work with before me."

"Jethro." She was trying to calm him down. "People who should know don't believe Ari Haswari is the sniper. And you haven't provided any evidence to prove them wrong!"

"Have you ever doubted me?"

"Professionally? Never."

"Why are you doubting me now?"

"I have to establish a working relationship with these people."

"Who are you gonna side with, Jen? Them or me?" She didn't want to say it but she knew she had to.

"Give me a tough question."

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Tony was once again seated at his desk and tried to do some paper work, when Ziva started talking.

"You're from a wealthy family." Tony wasn't really paying attention.

"Really?"

"Born and raised on the East Coast. New England boarding school. Spent some time in the Midwest. And Philadelphia." Tony was shocked.

"How would you know that?" Ziva just smiled at him. The elevator doors opened and Gibbs and the red head came in. Ziva walked to the red head and greeted her.

"Shalom, Jen."

"Shalom." Tony was confused and decided to ask Gibbs but he didn't have the time before Gibbs started talking.

"You first." He said in a low voice.

"Ziva David, Mossad. She's here to stop you from whacking Ari. Yours?" Tony said with the same low voice but with a bit of curiosity at the end.

"Director Jenny Shepard. Same mission."

"Which agency?"

"Ours." Tony almost laughed. Gibbs looked at him with a warningly look and Tony put his straight face on again.

"Yeah?" He looked half intimidated, half curious at the woman who was his new superior. She came towards him with Ziva by her side. She introduced Ziva to Gibbs.

"Special Agent Gibbs. Ziva David, Mossad."

"Ziva." Politely they shook hands.

"Director Shepard has spoken often of you." She said, half amused. Gibbs wasn't so concerned.

"Really?"

Jenny decided to break the silence.

"Ziva and I worked antiterrorist ops since 9/11." Ziva's phone started to ring.

"Excuse me." She took her back pack and wandered off. Tony, whom had looked at Jenny since he found out who she was, was a little taken back by the sudden movement of her. She looked straight at him.

"Yes, I really am the new NCIS director." She tried to sound convincing but by the look on his face, it wasn't enough. She was going to have trouble with this one. Tony just nodded and laughed.

"Yeah." Jenny turned around and left him there, grinning. Tony just looked at her, mumbling a small "wow". Gibbs followed her and on his way, smacked Tony on the back of his head.

"Good to have you back, boss."

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The rain was pouring down. Ziva was standing by the window looking out over the Navy Yard. It was Ari who had called her and she was afraid that they, referring to the NCIS agents, especially Special Agent Gibbs, would hear her. That's why she stood by the window and talked in Israeli. He lowered her voice when Gibbs walked pass her.

"I have a relationship with the new NCIS director and may be able to convince her of your innocence. But not Special Agent Gibbs. He's a man with blood in his eyes." Ari sat in his car. He heard worry in her voice and tried to calm her down.

"Let me worry about Gibbs. Do you have the passport and money?"

"Yes."

"Use the drop. Tonight." Ziva thought that now was the time to ask him. She missed him so much.

"I want to see you." Ari knew that she would want to see him sooner or later but he also knew that that couldn't be arranged on a safe way.

"Too risky. Gibbs will have you followed. We'll meet in Paris when the mission is over. I promise."

"Ari, I don't want to lose you, too." She was almost crying by now.

"You won't." Ari said, almost smiling. How attached she already had got to him. He had nothing more to say to her right now. "Shalom."


	6. Chapter 6

Ziva looked at the phone and sighed. She missed him so much. But she had to pull herself together. Ziva was a Mossad Officer. She couldn't feel like this now. She began to walk back to the others. Gibbs saw her coming and started to ask her uncomfortable questions. "Miss David, whose balls get cut off if Ari is not a Mossad mole, but a terrorist?"

"Mine, I suppose. Since I'm his control officer." She chose to answer politely, and she barely wanted to look into his eyes.

"They promote control officers young in Mossad." Gibbs said, half amused. Ziva decided to play along.

"Have to. The good ones are dead at your age." She answered back and looked at him. Both Gibbs and Tony got a little surprised and glanced at her.

"Do you know how I located Ari's terrorist cell?" He now stood up, looking directly at her.

"GPS fix off his encrypted cell phone." She turned so that she faced him.

"He wanted you to know the terrorists' location, so you could stop the missile instead of him, which would've blown his cover." Gibbs was confused.

"Only an NSA satellite can GPS an encrypted phone. Ari didn't know I had that asset."

"You give him less credit than he gives you." Said Ziva, almost laughing. "Who hung up first? You or him?"

Gibbs thought back to the time of the call. He remembered that he cut the call. Not Ari.

"Ari knows a fix takes only 19 seconds. When Sharon visited Bush, Ari's Hamas cell kidnapped Agent Todd." She wanted to prove to Gibbs that Ari was innocent. She began walking towards him. "Why didn't he kill her instead of freeing her to warn the Secret Service?

"Why don't you arrange a meet and he can tell me?" Gibbs didn't let himself fall that easily.

"Ari Haswari is a Mossad operative undercover in Hamas." Ziva walked towards Director Shepard who was sitting at Kate's desk. She had to convince someone.

"He hasn't turned on us or you. He didn't shoot Agent Todd." Gibbs just sighed. Jenny rose.

"Gibbs, even if you're right, we owe them proof." Ziva was happy that she at least had convinced one person in this room. "That's all we ask. Don't kill the wrong man." Gibbs however was far from convinced.

"Like Mossad did in Norway?" Ziva got furious.

"That mistake cost us dearly."

"Not as dearly as the Palestinian waiter you killed." Now Gibbs was getting a little bit angry. Ziva was shocked. How could he know these things. She looked at the Director for help and she got it.

"Ziva, assure your deputy director that even though Ari Haswari is a suspect, no action will be taken unless we have evidentiary proof." Jenny turned around, towards Gibbs.

"Proof _before_ action."

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Tony and Gibbs entered the elevator. They didn't look at each other when Gibbs started speaking.

"I want you on Ziva's ass."

"She's not really my type, boss." He smacked the back of his head.

"To tail her."

"I knew that."

"She's been in contact with Ari. That's the only way she could know I hung up on him."

"Eeh, I don't want you to get pissed---"

"I thought you wanted me pissed?"

"I did. It was kind of weird when you were being nice. Not that you're not nice. I mean---" The elevator doors opened and Gibbs stood in between.

"Will you spit it out, DiNozzo?" Tony inhaled and spoke.

"What if Ziva's right and Ari knew you'd trace the call?" There was a long silence.

"She is right. Ari wanted me to raid the warehouse. He set me up. And it almost cost Kate her life." He left the elevator and Tony stopped the doors from closing in on him.

"Is he a mole or a terrorist?" Gibbs didn't really care.

"Whatever works to play his game."

"If Ziva leads me to Ari?"

"Shadow him and call me." he said simply.

"So you can bring him in?" Tony asked curiously.

"Yeah. So I can bring him in, to Autopsy."

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Gibbs entered in Abby's lab and she immediately started to inform him.

"The FBI database gave me six weapons whose rifling patterns fit the bullets you recovered. I've been able to eliminate all but three. Two SWAT weapons, the Tango 51 and Bravo 51. And this---" Gibbs interrupted her.

"My old friend. A Marine M40A1 sniper rifle." He took it up and held it the way he used to. McGee looked at him, astonished.

"It looks sweet the way you hold that, boss." He didn't think before he spoke and got an angry look from Gibbs.

"Sweet?!" Abby looked sadly at him.

"Yeah. It's an expression that means---"

"Yeah, I know what it means, McGee. You think Ari looked sweet when he shot Kate?"

"Of course not, boss." Abby interrupted their argument. She thought that McGee had suffered enough.

"My vote is for the Tango 51 or the Bravo 51. What do you think, Gibbs?"

"Your test rounds show more gouging than Ari's. He was hand loading and moly coating." Abby was impressed.

"You are so good."

"_Moly coating_?" She had to explain.

"Yeah. Molybdenum disulfide. It's a lubricant. It decreases barrel wear and increases accuracy."

"McGee, run a trace on Tango and Bravo 51 sales. Last six weeks. Tri-state area. Check the Bravo first."

"On it, boss."

"Any prints on the brass?"

"No. Is your gut telling you something?" She knew it did.

"Yeah. I need coffee."

"No, Gibbs. Come on. This isn't just another investigation. Todd is your agent, but Kate is my friend. So can you stop it with the John Wayne stare and tell me what your gut says?"

"What don't I believe in, Abby?"

"UFOs, mystics, coincidence, saying you're sorry, excuses. I could go on all night."

"As a Marine sniper, I used hand-loaded Lapua .308 boat-tail full metal jacket, moly-coated bullets."

Abby didn't know what to say. All she could get out was a sad "Gibbs".

"You know what a sniper calls a Bravo 51?"

"No." She didn't dare to hear it either.

"A Kate."

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As Gerald entered the car he felt a hand gripping his shoulder, right where his wound was. He moaned at the pain this uninvited guest gave him. Gerald felt a gun to his head. He relaxed and recognized the voice.

"My shoulder hurts when it rains, too, Gerald."

Ducky sat in the Autopsy and filled down some reports. He was about to go home, his mothers dinner with her friends had been over a long time ago. The phone rang and he answered it automatically.

"Autopsy." He heard Gerald's rather scared voice.

"Hello, Dr. Mallard."

"Gerald! How are you, my dear fellow?" He was pleased to hear from him.

"I've been better."

"Oh, what's wrong?" He heard an familiar voice answer, but he could not place it.

"He's having flashbacks."

"Who are you?"

"Oh, I'm hurt. You don't recognize my voice?" He did now.

"You bastard." Ari laughed.

"You do remember me."

"If you harm Gerald---" Ari interrupted him.

"I have no intention of harming Gerald. I think one ruined shoulder is enough. It certainly is for me."

"_One_ ruined shoulder? What about Jethro's and poor Caitlin's shoulders?"

"Doctor, I did not call you to talk about what I did and didn't do."

"What do you mean by that? What do you want?" What did he mean with "what he didn't do"?

"A professional courtesy, one doctor to another."

"Yes, well, I'd be most willing to provide a free autopsy."

"Dr. Mallard, I want to prove I didn't shoot Caitlin."

"By taking Gerald hostage?" Ducky said skeptically.

"Gerald is free to go if you'll listen to my side of this tragedy."

"I'm listening."

"It's a long story and I hate phone bills." He was being sarcastic.

"Will you get on with it?"

"Will you meet me alone?" Ducky had to think rationally. This could be dangerous.

"What happens to Gerald?"

"Come alone and you can exchange places."

"Doctor, don't come. He'll kill you." Ari interrupted the former assistant.

"Learn to trust, Gerald. I may have shot you in the shoulder. But I've never lied to you. Doctor?" Ducky thought it through and made a decision.

"You have my word."

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Gibbs was sitting in the bullpen when Jenny walked up to him.

"Jethro?" He looked at her.

"I know it's been a difficult day for both of us."

"That's what my DI used to say. Never believed him." There was a short silence.

"Jen... Are you going to dinner with CBS?" He looked at her, sadly.

"I am." She had to stand tall, especially in front of him.

"Don't do that interview. Please." He really meant it. She could see it in his eyes. She smiled.

"I'll see if I can delay it a few days."

"Good."

"Good night, Jethro."

"Night." She made her way to the elevator. Gibbs thought it was all over. The doors opened, Ducky stood there.

"Ducky. How nice to see you again." She smiled at him. He barely smiled back.

"And you. Congratulations."

"Going home?"

"Aah, yes." He sounded nervous. 'Why did he sound nervous?' Gibbs thought.

"Ducky." He rushed from his desk, trying to catch the elevator. The doors closed right in front of him.

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"So are you back at work, Gerald?" said Ari curiously. Gerald looked at him through the rearview mirror and sighed.

"Next week." Ari just continued talking.

"I've always found that work is the best--" They could see a car at the end of the lane. It was slowing down and parked across the street. Ari who recognized the car model knew exactly whom it was.

"A vintage Morgan. How Ducky." he said smiling. Ari started giving orders to Gerald as soon as the Morgan stopped.

"Flash your lights." Gerald reluctantly flashed his lights. Ducky got out of his car and towards theirs. Ari once again gave an order.

"Roll down your window." Gerald unwillingly pushed the button that rolled down the window. He wasn't sure why Ari wanted the window to be rolled down but as soon as Ari picked up his massive weapon he knew.

"Now wait in the good doctor's car, while we talk." Gerald gladly got out and walked towards Ducky who was now half way there.

Ari looked through his sight and aimed at Ducky.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


End file.
